Echinophyllia care, Berghia nudibranch in main display  - 09/03/06
  Hello once again.  I have a couple of questions for you.  I recently purchased a 3" purple and red Echinophyllia which I had researched before the purchase, and believe needs to be placed in bright light with moderate flow, correct?
<Mmm, within defined terms. Please see here: http://www.google.com/custom?domains=www.WetWebMedia.com&q=echinophyllia&sitesearch=www.WetWebMedia.com&client=pub-4522959445250520&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3A99C9FF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1%3B&hl=en>
The coral appears to look the same day and night, which doesn't seem right to me ( doesn't seem to "swell up" during the day).  I don't have a picture of the coral but it looks like a plating variety, similar to a plating Montipora with more "bumps".  I have it about 12" under water directly beneath a 250 watt metal halide light.  Is this too much light?  
<... Mmm, you state you "recently" acquired this colony/animal... takes a while to adapt (weeks...)... shouldn't be exposed to much more light than it was... See WWM re photo-acclimation of scleractinians>
    My other question is, on the website www.saltyunderground.com it says you can put Berghia nudibranchs directly into your main display which conflicts with other things I've read.  They suggest 8 per 100 gallons.  I have plenty of Aiptasia, what do you think of this idea?
<Is done "all the time">
I have a clown fish, blue flavivertex Pseudochromis, Kole tang, cleaner shrimp and a bubble tip anemone.
<Not a good idea to mix with stony, soft corals...>
My thought was that by adding 8 to my tank a couple would hopefully survive long enough to reproduce and get rid of the Aiptasia.
<"So many foxes, so many rabbits"...>
I know the Aiptasia are a result of too many nutrients in the water but I do a 10 percent weekly water change and feed corals and fish lightly, and don't know what else to do to keep them from reproducing (remora pro protein skimmer).
<... see WWM re>
  I have a 90 gallon tank with a 20 gallon overflow, would a bigger protein skimmer help...what would you suggest?
<That you read>
  Euro-reef models seem to be getting cheaper and I was thinking about getting a RS model rated for 135 gallons.  All my tests
read 0 for anything bad, but believe this is a result of my "Aiptasia filter".
<You are wise here>
Would adding some macro algae help compete for nutrients?
<Mmm, yes>
I guess that was more than a couple questions.  Thanks for your help and your website, Ryan.
<Keep using it. Bob Fenner>

Pectinia sp. slime 7/10/05
Thanks for fielding my question.
<Welcome>
Recently, my Pectinia coral experienced some shock.  It fell from it's perch midway up my 140gal tank (28" tall), mixed tank 2x400MH and 2x 110w VHO, all other tank parameters are perfect.  I moved it to a new place, because I could not get it to stay in it's original place.  Some of the internal skeleton was showing from where pieces broke off.  Some of the damaged began to slime... a lot.  And now the slime has covered a lot of the rock with bubbles attached to the slime streamers.  None of my other coral are declining because of this, but it looks like I have a serious case of Cyanobacteria, which I do not think it is.  I have had that before!!!
I have been sucking the slime off the rocks while doing small water changes all week and plowing the slime off the rocks every night, so my skimmer can do some of the work.  My protein skimmer is running full time and skimming dark green waste.  New carbon in the sump.
It looks like my Pectinia is recovering after a week of this.  It is a beautiful coral under actinic lights.  Is there any thing else that I should be doing?
thanks you for your time.
cde
<I would check your alkalinity, calcium levels, bolster if low, add the activated carbon to your filter flow path... and dose with an iodide solution. Bob Fenner>

Pectinia paeonia propagation 6/29/05
Mr. Fenner: I love your website, it is a tremendous resource. I was hoping to get either Anthony Calfo, or Eric Borneman's opinion on the possibilities of fragging Pectinia Paeonia.
<Anthony here with bells on... earring too... a tight lil purple dress. Its a good day.>
I have read your page on the Pectiniids, and realize that there is little demand, and a slow growth rate for these corals. But is it possible to propagate these the same way as SPS  fragmentation?? i.e., breaking into smaller pieces and supergluing them to "plugs"?
<Yes... similar>
Or does this coral require an LPS method where the skeleton must be cut, and the tissue allowed to grow apart?
<Not at all... the latter being too slow/conservative>
My concern arises with the mouth shaped orifice located deep within the flutes of the coral... Thank you. Ben Ward
<Pectinia can simply be sawn without care or caution to include a mouth with every frag. Use a masonry saw blade... preferably a wet saw (cooling the blade... less tissue damage). Cheap DIY tile cutting saws work fine here. Just rip into fast clean sections. We just did a fab demonstration of this at IMAC. Go to theimac.org and you will see DVDs of it for sale in a few weeks (cheap too). Maintain good water flow on the divisions... and be sure to make lateral or lower moves, but not higher, when returning the frags to the tank. Best of luck! Anthony>